Unexpected
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: Epilog added. Two-shot. Sam and Eddie find something unexpected at a crime scene
1. Chapter 1

Title: Unexpected  
author: Cindy Ryan  
category: Two shot  
series: Take Two  
summary: Sam and Eddie discover something unexpected at a crime scene 

The sound was so foreign to the rooftop they stood on that actress Samantha Swift thought she was mistaken. Tuning out her PI partner Eddie Valetik the brown haired woman cocked her head and listened. No, there it was again. Faint, but there to the left….and down?

Eddie continued to talk about the murder victim they'd stumbled upon as Sam backed away and towards the sound. He was crouched over the twenty-something blonde stabbing victim. The amount of blood had nearly driven Sam back to the stairs but she'd determinedly held her ground; barely. They'd called the police and were waiting for them to arrive.

Reaching the edge of the roof Sam looked down trying to find the source of the sound. She'd been praying she was wrong; but no there it was. Two stories down balanced precariously on an all too slim ledge; a baby carrier. The infant inside appeared unharmed but was crying.

The fifteen story brick building was old and the fire escape was on the other side of the wall. Too far and Sam knew from the looks of it the thing wouldn't hold her weight. She glanced back at Eddie who was back on his cell phone. Sam looked down again and estimated she could reach the child if she lowered herself down to the ledge above. Sam just wished she'd worn tennis shoes. 

* * *

"….no….no cameras that I can see."Eddie Valentik said into his cell phone to a male detective. "Not much up here to keep an eye on."

Later Eddie wouldn't be able to recall what made him turn around. When he did the PI thought he was going to have a heart attack. His partner had just stepped off the roof! Without thinking Eddie ended the call and raced forward.

"Sam!"Eddie shouted in alarm.

"Ledge!"The actress replied back.

Eddie looked down and saw Sam inching her way along a very tiny ledge.

"What the hell are you doing?!"Eddie asked worry and anger creeping into his voice.

"I can reach it."Sam insisted.

Eddie looked around for what she might have seen and then he saw it. Not having his binoculars Eddie pulled out his cell phone and activated the camera. He zoomed in on the object and felt his blood freeze. It really was a baby carrier; with a baby inside. There was no window near it. Eddie wondered if it was the victims and it had fallen during the struggle.

Muttering a curse Eddie dialed 911 once again and asked for LAFD. He gave the dispatcher an estimate on the baby's age. He also told the dispatcher there seemed to be no visible sign of injury. The operator informed Eddie the fire department was three minutes out. He ended the call.

"Fire department's three minutes away!"Eddie yelled to Sam.

"She'll fall; it's windy!"Sam called back.

Then it started to rain. The sky had been dark and threatening all night. The forecast had been for scattered showers. This was a full fledged gully-washer thunderstorm. Eddie cursed once more straining against the dark and rain to see Sam. The scream he heard next tore at his heart and for the second time in fifteen minutes Eddie thought it'd stopped.

"Sam!"Eddie called.

"I-I'm okay."Sam responded.

She sounded far from okay. Eddie pulled out his phone again and clicked on the flashlight ap and shown it down. Sam was almost to the baby carrier and was now flat on her stomach straining to reach down to the next floor where it was perched. Eddie didn't realize he was holding his breath until he saw her small hand grasp the main handle of the baby carrier. He released it and forced himself to breathe normally. Sam had now pulled the carrier up to her ledge She sat there for a moment holding the carrier in her lap her feet dangling over the edge.

"Stay there!"Eddie yelled. "Let LAFD get you down!"

Of course she didn't listen to him. Eddie's right fist hit the top of the short wall he was leaning against. Sam was on her feet now inching back the way she'd come. She was halfway back to him when the storm intensified if possible. The wind picked up with a fury. Eddie put his phone away and began to lower himself down to the ledge which was a normal human sized length from the roof. The wind was so intense that he had to scramble for a hand hold as it tried to pull him off. 

* * *

Sam swallowed a scream as she saw Eddie nearly lose his footing and fall. The rain was pelting them now and both were soaked. The baby was crying full force though it couldn't be heard over the wind. Sam scooted towards her partner holding out the baby carrier. They were close enough now that he could reach it. Just as his hand closed around the handle Sam slipped.

Suddenly there was nothing solid beneath her feet and Sam screamed. As soon as the fall began it stopped. It took Sam a full second to realize Eddie had hold of her left wrist. Squinting against the rain which was thankfully letting up Sam could also see he had the baby carrier awkwardly over his right shoulder so his right hand could hold onto the wall. Sam kept herself as still as she could so she didn't over balance her partner. From below sirens could be heard and looking down Sam saw two firetrucks pull to a stop. She let out a sigh of relief.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Unexpected  
author: Cindy Ryan  
series: Take Two  
timeline: Set after 1x02

Half an hour later Eddie found Sam sitting in the passenger seat of a squad car. The rain had stopped and since Sam hadn't seen him yet Eddie paused by a tree and watched. The baby girl they'd rescued was now in his partner's arms. Sam was cooing at the baby as she rocked sight thawed something inside Eddie. He tried to clamp down on the sensation telling himself for the thousandth time that he was immune to Sam Swift. That she was nothing but a headache.

Still as he watched Sam hold the baby Eddie knew he was fooling himself. His partner was trouble with a capital T. Eddie knew she was breaking through his defenses. Despite his best efforts Eddie realized with a start he and Sam were becoming friends. What he'd told the judge was true. Sam was trying to turn her life around. The courage she'd shown tonight proved that. Not many would do what she had. Pushing himself away from the tree Eddie approached the squad.

"You're good at that."Eddie commented quietly as he reached the police car.

Sam looked up startled then smiled.

"Paramedics said she's fine."The actress reported. "Baby carrier protected her from the fall."

"She's lucky."Eddie commented as he let the baby play with his right thumb. "Crime techs did a DNA test and confirmed the stabbing victim is her mother."

"Sad."Sam murmured as she looked down at the baby. "Detective Rollins has called in CFS and an agent is on their way."

"They'll find relatives to place her with."Eddie assured his partner.

Sam nodded and then looked away from the little girl and back at the PI.

"How's the shoulder?"Sam asked with concern.

Eddie held up the ice pack the paramedics had given him after a portable xray had cleared him.

"Not dislocated; just strained."Eddie responded.

Sam stood and shifted the baby to her left arm. Before Eddie could react Sam had enveloped him in a huge hug. Or as best she could while still holding the baby. After a moment Eddie let his arms encircle both of them.

"Thank you."Sam said quietly after a long moment. "I thought I was dead...if you hadn't caught me..."

"You're determined to give me a heart attack; aren't you?"Eddie asked with a grin then sobered. "I saw you slip off that ledge..."

"I didn't think about the risk...well I did..."Sam faltered. "But I just knew I couldn't leave her there."

"You are something else, Samantha Swift."Eddie murmured.

* * *

Sam wasn't entirely sure if her partner meant that as a compliment or not but she decided to take it as one. A friendship was starting to form between them after a few rough starts. Sam had heard the fear in his voice when she'd dropped off the roof. Seen it again in his dark eyes when she'd fallen. Eddie could be a buzz kill but under that hard rough exterior there was a big softie.

Sam let herself stay in Eddie's embrace a few seconds longer than was necessary. She couldn't help but notice Eddie didn't resist her being there. The little girl stirred in Sam's arms and she looked down and smiled. She hoped the baby would be alright. That she'd end up with a good home and be surrounded by people who loved her.

"You think she'll be okay?"Sam asked quietly.

"Yeah."Eddie agreed as he trailed a hand over the baby's head. "Anybody who's luck lands them on that tiny ledge is bound to have a bright future."

Sam knew he was right. Because a good thing had come out of her broken engagement and floundering career. The same good would happen to this little one out of the tragedy of her mother's murder. Sam nestled the baby close and then reluctantly stepped away from her partner. Together they waited for child and family services to arrive.


	3. epilog

A reviewer had asked for a bit more of this story. Hope you enjoy this epilog/follow up. :)

Private Investigator Eddie Valetik returned to his office late on thursday morning. He'd been running errands since eight. Berto had sent a text saying he should come back as soon as possible. He also had a missed call from his partner Samantha Swift. Combining the two had Eddie's curiosity peaked. Stepping off the elevator Eddie heard a sound he wasn't expecting; a baby crying. He followed the sound to Sam's closed office door. Berto was at the front reception desk and Eddie raised an eyebrow in question.

"That baby you rescued?"Berto replied with a grin. "Her grandmother stopped by to say thankyou. She stepped out to get lunch so Sam's babysitting."

"This I have to see."Eddie said with a smile.

The PI dropped his things off in his office and then crossed the short space to Sam's office. He knocked and Sam opened the door. The smile the actress gave him could've powered the space station. Eddie couldn't help but smile back.

"I hear we have a visitor."Eddie commented looking at the infant in Sam's arms.

"Her grandmother stopped by to thank us."Sam explained.

The actress stepped back so Eddie could enter the office. The baby had stopped crying and seemed content in Sam's arms looking around with wide eyes.

"We didn't know her name when we found her."Sam continued. "Eddie say hello to Sarah Ann."

Eddie remembered the baby carrier sitting precariously on the small ledge several floors up from street level. He smiled down at the little girl letting her play with his thumb and pinky finger with her tiny right hand.

"Hi Sarah."Eddie commented softly.

Sam handed the baby to Eddie who awkwardly cradled her in his arms.

"Her grandmother, Marie, was telling me the LAPD solved her daughter's murder."Sam said as she walked into her office and sat on the corner of her desk. "They arrested her boyfriend."

Eddie felt a pang of sadness as he looked down at the infant. He glanced over at his partner.

"Sarah's father?"Eddie asked quietly.

"No, that was a previous boyfriend that Marie hasn't been able to find."Sam continued. "Apparently that was a rocky relationship from the start and he left as soon as he learned of the pregnancy."

Eddie shook his head as he shifted Sarah to his other arm.

"Does she want us to take that case?"Eddie asked. "We could find him."

"She's thinking about it."Sam replied as she stood. "Marie said she had a few more of her daughter's friends to contact who might know where he is."

"Hopefully he's grown up some and will step up."Eddie commented.

Sam walked over to the visitor's chair and plucked a stuffed animal out of the pink messenger sized bag that rested there. She smiled and walked back to Eddie. As she got closer Eddie could see she was holding a small brown teddy bear. She bounced it in the air in front of Sarah and the baby girl laughed and tried to grab for the bear. After another minute Sam gave her the bear. Just then Eddie heard the elevator he turned in time to see the elevator stop and the gates push open. A woman with dark hair and glasses in her early sixties stepped out. She smiled at Berto before walking to Sam's office.

"You must be Mr. Valetik."The woman commented.

"Eddie."The PI corrected.

"I'm Marie Hughes."Sarah's grandmother replied. "I just had to stop by and thank you both in person. I'm so grateful to still have my grand-daughter."

"I'm glad we could help."Eddie said as he handed Sarah back to her grandmother. "It was nice to meet you and to see Sarah again."

"We're glad she's doing well."Sam said as she handed the pink bag to Marie and they walked to the main reception area. "Don't hesitate to call us if you need our help with anything."

"I will."Marie promised as she walked into the elevator. "Thank you for watching her."

Sam nodded and smiled as Eddie pulled down the gate. They watched as the elevator decended. After a moment Eddie walked back to his office and Sam followed.

"I'm glad you got back in time to see Sarah."Sam commented.

"Me too."Eddie said as he sat down behind his desk. "Hopefully Marie will keep us updated on her."

"I think she will."Sam replied. "Want to order in lunch?"

"Sounds good."Eddie responded as he began sorting through things that he'd gotten earlier. "I'll get menus."

Sam returned with the menus and Berto in tow. She told Eddie Monica was at a class so it's just the three of them. Eddie watched as the two poured over menus and he smiled stepping back not really carrying what they ordered. The warm fuzzies that Sarah's visit had brought seemed to linger over the office or Eddie was getting soft. He decided it was the baby's visit. Still he couldn't help but notice the bond that Sam had formed with Berto and Monica and consequently with himself. They'd become a team and were sliding towards a work family. As much as he'd fought this partnership Eddie could admit to himself now that he didn't mind where things were going.

end


End file.
